E. coli Infection Facts

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

Shiga toxin-producing E. coli facts

Escherichia coli, or E. coli for short, is a very common bacterium. There are
hundreds of different strains of E. coli. Some are harmless while others cause
serious illness. Non-pathogenic strains of E. coli -- those that do not cause
disease -- are normal inhabitants of the intestinal tract in humans and animals.
But certain strains of E. coli can cause severe diarrhea and infect the genital
and urinary tracts.

ExamplesofShiga toxin-producing E. coli outbreaks

The most notorious type of pathogenic E. coli is known as
E. coli 0157:H7.
The name refers to the chemical compounds found on the surface of the bacterium.
This strain was identified in 1982 following an outbreak of diarrhea resulting
from the eating of undercooked beef. The 0157:H7 E coli strain belongs to a
group of bacteria known as "Shiga toxin-producing" E. coli, or STEC for short.
They have also been referred to as verocytotoxic E. coli (VTEC) or
enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC). Outbreaks of
E. coli 0157:H7-induced illness
have been common in recent years. In 2011, a deadly outbreak began in Europe due
to a rare strain of E coli, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O104, or STEC O104,
that produces a serious illness similar to that produced by E coli 0157:H7. At
the time of the outbreak, which was centered in Germany and related to
contaminated vegetables, the STEC 0104 strain had never been identified in the
United States.